Radiator back flush and cleaning booth



Ot. 7, 1952 E. G. WEBB 2,612,399

RADIATOR BACK FLUSH AND CLEANING BOOTH Filed Nov. 9, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWIHIJ I man. I

I Mlilli!num IMMUNE FIG. 2

L IS 53 52 ,5

4 INVENTOR EARLE GRANT WEBB ATTORNEYS Oct. 7, 1952 WE 2,612,899

RADIATOR BACK FLUSH AND CLEANING BOOTH Filed Nov. 9, 1946 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3 H H a, a 55' 3| i 39 4 7 y 33 43 7 45 7 5\/ A3 l6 5 & 9

FIG.4

INVENTOR EARLE GRANT WEBB fiwfizwm ATTORNEYS Oct .7, 1952 E. G. WEBB 2,612,899

RADIATOR BACK FLUSH AND CLEANING BOOTH Filed Nov- 9, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 i "III INVENTOR EARLE GRANT WEBB ATTORNEYS 3o KMW ZW Patented Oct. 7, 1952 momma BEC FLUSH AND era-isms BOOTH Earle Grant Webb, Bellevue, Nebr., assig'nor, by 'me'sne assignments, to Inland Manufacturing Qompanm Qmaha, Nebri, a corporation of Nebraska Application November 9, 1946,-Sei'i'a1-No.- 709. 078

such as used in automobiles. I

2 claims. (01. 134-162) accumulations of foreign matter from the interior of the radiator which have been previously loosened inthe boil-ingvat.

Her'etofore this series of operations has required that the radiator be moved from one position to another to accomplish both cleaning steps and also has been extremely messy in that the water from both the external cleaning and the back-flushing has been permitted to run over the floor, generally to afioor drain. Furthermore, the water was likely to splash over the surround. ings and operator during the cleaning and flushing operation. I I

t It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a single cabinet which is fully enclosed when back-flushing is taking place and which is pa'rtially enclosed when external cleaning is being effected. I I I I It is another object of the invention to substantially prevent any splashin of water from the radiator cleaning operations on the operator and the surroundings. I I

It is a further object of the invention to afford more rapid external washing and internal backflushing than is possible with existing equipment.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine wherein both external and internal cleaning are performed in the same cabinet and in the same position, thus eliminating the neces:

sity of moving theradiator.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel radiator support in a cleaning cabinet to maintain the radiator in the most con venient position.

It. is a further object of the invention to provide a construction by which the back-flushing operation may be observed while the back flushing process is being carried on, even though the'ca'binet is completely closed at this time.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cleaning and back-flush cabinet for radiators" which is providedwith a drain so that all water from these operations is drained directly'from the cabinet to a suitable outlet,

Another object of the invention is to provide for complete control of the operations for c1eaning and back-flushing a radiator from the front of the cabinet and also to provide for-control of 2 o w the back fiushing'operation from the front of the cabinet when the cabinet doors are closed.

It is still another object of the invention 'to provide improved back flushing of the radiator to be cleaned and, more specifically, to insure that a sufiicient column of water under high pressure is forced rapidly through the radiator.

It is also an object of the invention to provide complete external washing and back=fiushing ap'-' paratus in a single cabinet, including the neces'-' sary machinery for effecting these operations.

It is still a further object of the invention to construct the bottom of a booth for cleaning radiators in such a manner that no water may run out the front thereof. I

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objectscontemplated are at tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,-point'ed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: I

Figure l is a front perspective View of the radia tor cleaning and back flus'h cabinetshewh with the doors thereof closed.

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the cabi net or booth with the doors open andthe back flush hose connected to a radiator: I

Figure 3 is a front perspective View of thelic'zc'ith with the doors open,- showing the back-flushhose' and the external cleaning hose in the pbsition in" which they are placed when not in use.

Figure 4 is a, front perspective view of the Gabi net or booth with the doors open and illustrates the external cleaning of a radiator.

Figure 5 is a back elevational view of the cakSi net and mechanism associated therewith;

Figure 6 is a sectional'view of the cabinet and mechanism taken on line 6- 6 of Figure 5 and Figure '7 is a sectionalview of the cabinet and mechanism taken; on line I iof Figure 5.

Referring specifically to the drawingsfor a detailed description of the invention, numeral l des ignates generally anenclosed cabinet, having side walls ZratOp'wall 3, a bottomwallki and a pair of doors 5 hinged to the front of the cabinet and. provided with a latch 6. Transparent windows I are provided atI the upper portions ofthe doors 5 in such position that they are at the eye level ofthe averageoperator. I

A vertical wan s is rented intriorly drills cabinet and extends upwardly from the bottbni wall A a short distan' wall 9 extends'fromthewall and coniiect'swith a vertical wall I0. I The wens-a, 9 and Ill form the rear wall of the cabinet; Anni-gs l"l i's"di sposed at the un ture between the" wane 3 and a; 1A" radiator 12' is supported with'it's seam on as wall 9' and its" top resting agalnst' wai- Ill"; thief flange-- I-l ne'vairing the radiator from slipping Ali upward y off the wall 9. The radiator is preferably disposed with the part that normally faces the ensine facing the front of the cabinet.

A hose 13 for external cleaning of the radiator I2 is provided with a nozzle [4 and extends from an aperture 15 in the short vertical wall 8. The radiator 12 includes external fins Ho and water passages I2b. A back-flush hose [6 is connected to the radiator at a bottom connection 5| by a clamp I1 and the hose l6 extends from an aperture I8 in the short vertical wall 8. The construction of the clamp I1 is fully described and claimed in my issued U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,526,055, dated October 17, 1950, for Clamp Device and no further description thereof is deemed necessary except to state that the clamp tightly connects hose l6 and outlet 5|.

Brackets l9 and 2| are provided on side wall 2 adjacent hose I6, in order to support the hose in its operative position, such as shown in Figure 2, and in its stored position, such as shown in Figures 3 and 6. A similar clamp 22 is provided on the other side wall 2 to support the hose 13 in its stored position, as shown in Figure 2. A scabhard 23, which is open at its bottom, is provided on the side wall 2 adjacent hose [3, so that the operator need not stop the flow of liquid from the hose 13 if he wishes to use his hands for some other purpose but is enabled to place the nozzle M in the scabbard 23. A waterproof light 20 is disposed near the top of the cabinet for a purpose hereinafter described.

A city water inlet conduit 24 conveys water to the cabinet and part of the water flows through a branch conduit 25 having a shut-off valve 26 therein, which branch conduit 25 is connected to a water pump 2'! driven by a motor 28. The pump 21 and motor 28 are bolted to the bottom 4 of the cabinet and are shielded by vertical flanges 30 at the rear of the cabinet. A conduit 29 connects the outlet of the pump 21 with the hose l3. A control rod 3| for operating valve 25 extends through the rear wall In of the cabinet and is supported by an ear 32 adjacent the front of the cabinet. A hand wheel 33 is secured to the outer end of rod 3! adjacent the front of the cabinet and in an accessible position for the operator when the doors 5 are opened.

Another branch line 34 extends from the conduit 24 and has a back check valve 35 and an oif-and-on control valve 38 therein. A compressed air line 31 having a valve 38 therein is connected to the branch line 34 adjacent the bottom thereof at the back of the cabinet I.

A control rod 39 for operating valve 36 in water line 34 extends through the back of the cabinet I and is supported at the front thereof by a flange 4|. A hand-wheel 42 is disposed at the end of the rod 4| adjacent the front of the cabinet in an accessible position for the operator when the doors 5 are open.

A control rod 43 for operating the valve 38 in compressed air line 31 also extends through the back of cabinet I and is supported at the front thereof by a flange 44. The rod 43 is provided with a push-button 45 located at the front of the cabinet in such position that it extends through an aperture 46 in one of the doors 5 when the doors are closed.

A conduit 41 connects the conduit 34 with the backflush hose I6 and it will be noted that the compressed air line 31 enters the water-line 34 at the juncture of line 34 and conduit 41, thus insuring a substantial column of water between the entrance of the compressed air in line 31 and the end of hose I6.

A drain hole 48 is provided in the bottom wall 4 of the cabinet and an upturned flange 49 is provided at the front of the bottom wall 4 to prevent water from running out the front of the cabinet. An inturned flange 5D is also provided on the top wall 3 of the cabinet to prevent any water which splashes on the top wall from escaping from the cabinet.

Operation In operating the above apparatus, city water is admitted to the conduit 24 and it is assumed that both the water valves 26 and 36, as well as the compressed air valve 38, are closed. A radiator l2, which has previously been boiled in a boiling vat, is positioned as shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the first operation is to clean foreign matter from the external fins of the radiator. For this purpose, the hand-wheel 33 is turned to open valve 26 and a switch 54 is closed, thus starting motor 28 and pump 21. Switch 54 is controlled by a rod 55 which extends to a position adjacent the front of the cabinet and accessible when the doors 5 are opened.

Water is therefore delivered through conduit 25, water pump 21, conduit 29 and hose [3, and emerges from the nozzle M in a strong, fine stream. The operator directs the stream against the external portions of the radiator [2, as shown in Figure 4, to completely remove foreign matter from the fins of the radiator.

After the external cleaning is completed, the operator may either close valve 26 by turning hand-wheel 33, or may elect to leave the valve open and place the nozzle I4 of the hose l3 in the scabbard 23. It will be clear that any Water emerging from the nozzle I4 will fall to the bottom of the cabinet and will drain from aperture 48, the flange 49 preventing water from running out of the front of the cabinet. Furthermore, the radiator is substantially enclosed in the cabinet during this process and very little splashing of the operator or the surroundings results.

The operator then connects the back-flush hose 3 to the conduit 5| of radiator 52 by utilizing clamp H. The radiator is provided with a tube connection 52 and with a fill conduit 53, which is'blocked during the operation about to be described. The operator then opens valve 35 by turning hand-wheel 42 and water flows through the branch conduit 34, conduit 47 and hose I6; thence through the radiator from bottom connection 5| and out of tube connection 52. However, only city water pressure is available at this time and the flow is rather slow through the small passages of radiator I2, which water emerging from the outlet 52 falls to the bottom of the cabinet and is removed through drain 48.

In order to effectively back-flush the radiator, that is, force water in the reverse direction from the normal flow when the radiator is installed in an automobile, the doors 5 are closed and the operator pushes button 43 to open compressed air valve 38. Compressed air at a pressure of preferably about pounds per square inch flows through the compressed air conduit 3'! and admits full air line pressure behind the water stream. This forces the water rapidly through the radiator from the inlet 5| to the outlet 52, which water is under considerable pressure and effectively removes any foreign matter in the passages of the radiator.

When the operator pushes the button 46, he

may observe the operation through the windows 1, since the light 20 adequately permits him to do so. The color of the water emerging from the outlet 52 during back-flushing is an indication of when the process is complete. If the color of the water shows the operator that further back-flushing is necessary, he periodically pushes the button 45 to provide a series of pressure impulses to the water passing through the radiator l2. When back-flushing is complete, the operator opens the doors 5 and shuts off valve 38.

The back check valve 35 prevents the water in line 34 under pressure from entering water line 25 and pump 21.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we have provided an improved cabinet and mechanism for external cleaning and back-flushing of radiators which permit rapid cleaning of the radiators, both externally and internally, and prevents messy splashing or water on the surroundings and on the operator. Furthermore, the operator is enabled to visually observe the back-flushing process and to determine the condition of the radiator and control such process, even though the doors of the cabinet are closed.

Some changes may be made in the construction I and arrangement of the parts of my radiator back-flush and cleaning booth without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for cleaning the radiator of an internal combustion engine, said radiator comprising upper and lower liquid connections, external fins and internal passages, said device comprising a cabinet for supporting said radiator interiorly thereof, said cabinet comprising top, bottom and side walls together with a vertical wall extending between the front and rear of said cabinet and having a bottom portion ofiset forwardly to define a forwardly sloping support for said radiator in erect position above said bottom wall, said vertical wall subdividing said cabinet into front and rear compartments open, respectively, to the front and rear of said cabinet, said rear compartment having a forward portion extending below a rear portion of said forward compartment, said bottom wall having an upstanding front flange and being apertured between said flange and said vertical wall, movable closure means for said front compartment, a first conduit for cleaning liquid extending in said rear compartment through said offset vertical Wall portion, a second flexible conduit in said front compartment connected to said first conduit, means for removably connecting said second conduit to a radiator liquid connection, a check valve in said first conduit permitting fluid flow therethrough only into said second conduit, a conduit for compressed air in said rear compartment connected to said first liquid conduit, and means accessible from the front of said cabinet for controlling the flow of fluid through said first conduit and through said air conduit.

2. A device according to claim 1 having means for controlling the flow of fluid through said air conduit extending through said closure means and operable with said closure means in front;

compartment closing position.

EARLE GRANT WEBB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 847,495 McKee Mar. 19, 1907 993,602 Johnston May 30, 1911 1,757,831 Davidson May 6, 1930 1,908,955 Carmin May 16, 1933 1,983,084 Janus Dec. 4, 1934 2,051,233 Webb Aug. 18, 1936 2,170,730 Rodieck Aug. 22, 1939 2,187,413 Boezi et a1. Jan. 16, 1940 2,222,513 Mulvaney Nov. 19, 1940 2,266,288 Thompson Dec. 16, 1941 2,352,356 Albertson June 27, 19514 

